Chem-E-Car topic of Wednesday seminar

By the Midland Daily News

Published 9:30 am, Monday, October 20, 2014

The Mid-Michigan AIChE Section is sponsoring the Chem-E-Car seminar at Michigan State University by Jacob Anibal and Carl Herman, at the Grand Traverse Pie Company, 2600 North Saginaw Road, Midland, from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday.

Each year, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) sponsors the national Chem-E-Car competition between the collegiate AIChE chapters. Teams design and build small, chemical-powered cars to carry a water load over a given distance. The teams then compete against each other at the spring AIChE regional conferences, using a load and distance specified at the competition site. Accuracy in the distance traveled determines the winner, with the best cars stopping within a few centimeters.

This seminar covers the basics of the Chem-E-Car competition and design process, along with an opportunity to see a Chem-E-Car.

Jacob Anibal is a junior at Michigan State University. This year marks his second as the Chem-E-Car team captain. Anibal also works as an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Scott Calabrese Barton’s electrochemical energy research group, researching oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cell applications. Prior to this position, Anibal conducted thermodynamics research for four semesters as a professorial assistant under Dr. Carl Lira.

Carl Herman has been a part of the Chem-E-Car design team for two years. Last year, his focus was on calibrating a “clock reaction,” which served to stop the car. This summer he worked for Baker Hughes Inc. as a R&D intern, working on the monitoring of sour corrosion using electrochemical techniques. He wants to use these insights to further refine battery designs used in Chem-E-Car. He is currently employed by The Dow Chemical Co. as a co-op.

This meeting is free and open to the public. Light snacks will be available while they last beginning at 6 p.m.

The lecture qualifies for one professional development hour. PDH certificates will be provided to interested attendees. For more information, contact Bruce Holden (989) 636-5225) or visit www.mmaiche.org/.